Norfolk Local Access Forum
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NORFOLK LOCAL ACCESS FORUM Date: Wednesday 8 July 2015 Time: 10:30am Venue: Cley Marshes Visitor Centre Membership: Stephen Agnew Kate MacKenzie Chris Allhusen (Vice-Chairman) Ann Melhuish Tim Bennett John Miles Julie Brociek-Coulton Ian Monson Karen Buchanan Fiona Prevett Seamus Elliott Don Saunders (Chairman) Ross Haddow George Saunders David Hissey Martin Sullivan Stephanie Howard Mike Taylor Allan Jones Ray Walpole Thomas Love For further details and general enquiries about this Agenda please contact Nicola LeDain, Committee Officer: on 01603 223053 or email [email protected] 1 A G E N D A 1. Apologies 2. Minutes (Page 4) To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 22 April 2015. 3. Declarations of Interest If you have a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest in a matter to be considered at the meeting and that interest is on your Register of Interests you must not speak or vote on the matter. If you have a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest in a matter to be considered at the meeting and that interest is not on your Register of Interests you must declare that interest at the meeting and not speak or vote on the matter. In either case you may remain in the room where the meeting is taking place. If you consider that it would be inappropriate in the circumstances to remain in the room, you may leave the room while the matter is dealt with. If you do not have a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest you may nevertheless have an Other Interest in a matter to be discussed if it affects: - your well being or financial position - that of your family or close friends - that of a club or society in which you have a management role - that of another public body of which you are a member to a greater extent than others in your ward. If that is the case then you must declare such an interest but can speak and vote on the matter. 4. To receive any items of business which the Chairman decides should be considered as a matter of urgency 5. Public Question Time Ten minutes for questions from members of the public of which due notice has been given. Please note that all questions must be received by the Committee Officer by 5pm on Friday 3 July 2015. Please submit your question(s) to the person named on the front of this agenda. 6. The Ramblers Big Pathwatch (Page 10) Discussion led by Ian Mitchell; The Ramblers and Matt Worden; Maintenance Projects Manager 7. Review of the Rights of Way Improvement Plan (Page 12) Report by Andrew Hutcheson, Countryside Manager (Trails and Projects). 2 8. Permissive Access Network (Page 13) Discussion led by Russell Wilson, Senior Trails Officer (Infrastructure) 9. National Trail Partnership (Page 14) Report by Andrew Hutcheson, Countryside Manager (Trails and Projects) 10. Walking and Cycling Group (Page 15) Report by Andrew Hutcheson, Countryside Manager (Trails and Projects) 11. Coastal Access – England Coast Path (Page 16) Presentation by Jonathan Clarke, Natural England 12. Outdoor Recreation Network (Page 17) Report by Kate MacKenzie 13. Multi-User Sub-Group (Page 19) Discussion led by David Yates, Senior Trails Officer (Development) 14. Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) (Page 20) Report by Sarah Abercrombie, Senior Projects Officer 15. Cley Marshes (Page 22) Presentation by David North, Norfolk Wildlife Trust 16. Future Meeting Dates The future meeting dates are as follows: Date Time Venue Wednesday 8 July 2015 10:30 Cranworth Room, County Hall Wednesday 14 October 2015 10:30 Cranworth Room, County Hall Date Agenda Published: 1 July 2015 Chris Walton Head of Democratic Services County Hall Martineau Lane Norwich NR1 2DH If you need this Agenda in large print, audio, Braille, alternative format or in a different language please call 0344 800 8020 or 0344 800 8011 (textphone) and we will do our best to help. 3 NORFOLK LOCAL ACCESS FORUM Minutes of the Meeting held on 22 April 2015 at 10.30am at County Hall, Norwich Present: Representing: Don Saunders (Chairman) Countryside and Leisure Users Stephen Agnew Norfolk County Council Chris Allhusen Land Owners / Managers Seamus Elliott Wider Interests David Hissey Wider Interests Stephanie Howard Countryside and Leisure Users Allan Jones Countryside and Leisure Users Thomas Love Land Owners / Managers Kate MacKenzie Other Interests Ann Melhuish Wider Interests John Miles Other Interests Fiona Prevett Other Interests George Saunders Other Interests Martin Sullivan Countryside and Leisure Users Ray Walpole Countryside and Leisure Users Officers Present: David Collinson Assistant Director – Environment and Planning Andrew Hutcheson Countryside Manager (Trails and Projects) Tracy Jessop Assistant Director - Highways and Transport John Jones Countryside and Coastal Manager Kirsty Webber-Walton Trails Officer (Development) Matt Worden Maintenance Projects Manager David Yates Senior Trails Officer (Development) Nicola LeDain Committee Officer Ken Hawkins Ramblers (Norfolk) Katy Jones CPRE (Norfolk) 1. Apologies 1.1 Apologies were received from Tim Bennett, Julie Brociek-Coulton, Karen Buchanan, Ross Haddow, Ian Monson, and Mike Taylor. 2. Minutes 2.1 The minutes of the meeting held on 21 January 2015 were agreed and signed as an accurate record. 3. Declarations of Interest 4 3.1 There were no interests declared. 4. Items of Urgent Business 4.1 There were no items of urgent business. 5. Public Question Time 5.1 There were no public questions. 6. Appointment of Walking and Cycling Champion and Working Group 6.1 The Forum received the annexed report (6) which outlined that the Environment, Transport and Development Committee had voted to approve the appointment of Hilary Cox as Cycling and Walking Champion. The first task was then to convene a working group to steer the County’s strategic development of cycling and walking. Norfolk County Council, in partnership with other local authorities had submitted an expression of interest in becoming a Cycling Delivery Partner with central government. 6.2 It was reported to the Forum that it was a strategic partnership between Norfolk County Council and Department for Transport that was pushing a national initiative for walking and cycling. Hilary Cox had taken on the political ownership to the project and will lead the working group which would steer conversations and develop the projects. It would enable NCC to establish funding sources to increase capacity and push forward existing projects such as the Norwich Pink Pedalway. 6.3 The Forum heard that the initiative was an attempt to integrate cycling and walking into the highway network and segregate where appropriate to do so. 6.4 There was concern expressed at what was allowed on farm footpaths. Although cycling was to be encouraged, it should not be at the cost of creating problems for walkers. There was also concern that horse riders and drivers had been ignored from the project. Although the funding was from a stream that focused on walkers and cyclists, NCC were responsible for the whole network and therefore all users would be in mind. 6.5 NCC were engaged with Abellio to review the link with branch lines. It would be necessary to have enough space on the trains and the facilities available for cycles to make an effective integrated network. Abellio had been invited to a meeting to discuss this issue. 6.6 The Forum AGREED to note the report. 7. The Ramblers and NCC workshops 7.1 The Forum received the annexed report (7) which informed the Forum that a series of workshops had been held to inform a fresh, innovative and effective service approach to managing public access to the countryside and to ensure that is clearly represented in both the review of the Rights of Way Improvement Plan (2007 – 2017) and the new Countryside Access Improvement Plan effective post 2016. 7.2 The Forum heard how contact made by Ramblers (Norfolk) and CPRE (Norfolk) to the Assistant Director had led to the workshops being held. They expressed their 5 concerns about the maintenance of the Public Rights of Way, and how this was impacting on accessing the countryside. 7.3 The Forum heard that there had to be more creative ways of providing the funding. It was suggested by the Ramblers (Norfolk) that there was an inbalance between the funding of the Norfolk Trails network and the legal obligation to maintain other Public Rights of Way. CPRE (Norfolk) were pleased to take part in the workshops, as it had helped them to understand service delivery, limitations and frustrations. 7.4 The Assistant Director gave an assurance that the draft Action Plan that was being created would be acted on. 7.5 It was suggested to approach schools to encourage children to use Rights of Way, and to think more about the countryside so that they are more likely to help look after it. 7.6 The Forum suggested that repeat landowner offenders could be penalised through litigation and it may be useful to use forums of landowners to help pass the message through. There were those landowners, however, that go beyond their statutory duty, and it was important to praise those. 7.7 The Forum AGREED to note the reports made. 8. Review of the Rights of Way Improvement Plan – Update and Action Plan 8.1 The Forum received the annexed report (8) which outlined an Action Plan that had been produced and addressed the priorities for access set out in the Strategic Review of the Rights of Way Improvement Plan. 8.2 It was noted by the Forum that the unsurfaced roads were now on the interactive map, and this was appreciated by the Forum. 8.3 Reassurance was given to the Forum that the draft Action Plan that was being created by the Assistant Director Highways and Transport as a result of the workshops with the Ramblers (Norfolk) and the CPRE (Norfolk) would be integrated into the Strategic Review of the ROWIIP 8.4 There was concern expressed regarding the lack of horse riders mentioned, but it was confirmed that work would be done to support horse riders and this would be captured in the ROWIP Strategic Review’s Action Plan.